The Elements
by unlabeled
Summary: I couldn't make out his face, but his body was shaking violently. I opened the door. Maggie… He said it so quietly I thought I imagined it... but I knew I didn't. This was too real. That one word was filled with such relief, almost as if he knew me....
1. Chapter 1

A/N: soo this is my VERY first FF! and it's for Maximum Ride. YAY! uhhh so no flames. i don't want to die. yeah, R&R please and thankyou!

OH and just so you know, it's not really MR. there is no max, iggy, gazzy, nudge, or angel. I KNOW, I KNOW. i hate it too, but i came up with this habit of wondering what it would be like if the flock all had separate stories. i had one for Max too, but this one was wayyy better. plus it's still jp's main idea, so i couldn't just write it and not acknowledge MR; andd so i figured i'd put it here. for YOU so read it. it's got Fang, so be happy. sort of. not. yes it does have Fang. just READ IT.

my main character is Maggie. i didn't mean it to have the same first 2 letters as Max or w/e, but i LOVE the name Maggie. not Margaret so much, but Maggie. yes. so that's her name.

just readdd!! r & r LOVE.

The Elements

Chapter 1  
Maggie POV

I looked out my bedroom window to the cloudy sky, and realized it was going to snow tonight for the first time this winter.

Then I walked to the opposite side of the room and scanned what I consider my 'backyard.' It consisted of a grassy area surrounding my 'house,' then a beach, and a dock where my boat was tied up. Yes, I have my own boat. I live alone on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. And, yes, I own my own house – more like my own shack – even though I'm only 18, almost 19. I decided not to go to college right out of high school, but I started writing a book instead.

For now, let's just say my dad is loaded, and I'm an only child. Mom died giving birth.

So anyway…

I flipped off my light, crawled into bed, and let the darkness take me….

* * *

_Year: 1997  
Age: 9_

"_Rain, rain, go away!"_

"_No, no, NO! Nicholas! You know I love the rain." I tilted my head up and closed my eyes, letting the rain droplets slide down my face. I absolutely loved the rain anytime of the year. But then again, I loved Nick too, even though we were only 9 years old._

_Nicky came over and pecked me on the cheek. He looked up then too, but stuck his tongue out, tasting the sweet summer rain._

_Then a crack of thunder came along with a white sky for two seconds, and we both ran into my house laughing.  
_

* * *

Year: 1998  
Age: 11 

_It was Christmas Eve, and Nick and I were watching cartoons on TV, curled up in a blanket on my couch._

"_Hey, Maggie, why don't we go downtown and get some hot chocolate to make?" At the look on my face, he had to resort to begging. "Pleease…" Then he gave me the puppy dog look, with his big, dark chocolate eyes._

_I sighed heavily. "Oh, all right. If it's that important."_

_It took 15 minutes to plod through the snow, since the sidewalks weren't all shoveled. On the way, I reminded him of the dollar I let him 'borrow.'_

"_So. Will I ever get it back?"_

"_No," he said smirking. "I bought us something with it."_

"_It was my money!!" He just kept walking, passive as ever, so I punched his arm._

_He looked at me incredulously as he stopped walking in front of the pet shop._

_I remembered the fact that you can adopt an animal for two dollars._

_This time I screamed. "OH MY GOD!!" He smirked again and walked inside, and I just stood there, looking like an idiot._

_When Nick came back out, I was gaping at the little black puppy in his arms. It matched Nick's hair perfectly. "Meet Fang. He's 10 months old."_

_I shrieked again, and took the dog from Nick, cradling him in my arms. I had __always__ wanted a dog, but dad never let me. "It's too big a responsibility for a little girl like you." Poop-head. Fang licked my face and wriggled free of my grasp, jumping into the snow. As I grinned at Fang eating the snow, it hit me that Nick had just bought__**us**__ a puppy. I looked up to him and pounced, smothering his cheeks with kisses. Fang started pawing my leg, and I yelled, "thank you," and scooped Fang back into my arms, bouncing him up and down. For a moment I was mesmerized by Nick… he was smiling. He never smiles – usually just smirks a little. But now, he was grinning like a fool._

* * *

Year: 2000  
Age: 12 

Another winter was coming to a close, and now Fang was huge at the age of 3. Nick and I were both 12.

_At the end of January, Nick came banging on the front door. When I opened it, I realized we were standing under mistletoe. Dad was too lazy to take it down…_

_Crap._

_He saw it, too, and actually smiled. He quickly kissed me on the mouth before I could do anything. Then he started walking away and realized that I was glued to the floor. He smiled again, came back, and grabbed my hand pulling me forward._

_We went behind the shed and he started taking off his coat and then shirt, after he said he needed to show me something. He had been muttering other things, like "gotta run." I immediately started to worry. He turned the other way so I could see his spine, and I saw that it was completely black. At first I thought he hurt himself, like it was black and blue like a bruise. But the black and blue was soft, like an animal. Strange much? Totally._

_Before he could say anything, I saw his dad running towards us. He grabbed Nick over his shoulder and ran back to their house, obviously furious._

_And again, I was rooted to the ground, unable to move._

_But I had yet to find out that everything would be different from that moment on._

* * *

_ Year: 2000  
Age: 13_

_Now fall was approaching, and I hadn't seen Nick for a whole 2 weeks._

_Since the whole incident with his father, the only time I could see Nick was if his dad was there. _

_Neither of us had siblings or mothers… all we had was our dads and each other. Another week came and left when my dad got the life-changing phone call._

_I listened closely by my father's office door, wishing it was Nick needing to talk to me or see me…_

"_Hello? – Oh yes, this is him."_

_I peeked in to get a better look. When I saw his face I knew something was wrong._

"_No. No, that can't be right, officer… Oh my God. No. I mean, yes… Okay, I'll tell her. Yes. – Thank you, sir. Mmmhm. Goodbye."_

_My dad was actually crying. My dad. I had never seen this before. __What could have happened that's so terrible that could make HIM cry???__ I kept wondering this frantically over and over. Nick's face popped into my head… I was right._

_Nick died. My life changed forever in that single moment. I could remember his face, his voice, his walk, his smell, his dark piercing eyes and black hair that hung over his eyes. _[A/N: did NOT mean to rhyme there. lol

_I cried myself to sleep for the first four nights. Each time, Fang would come in and jump onto the bed, curling up so that I could hold him through the night._

_On the fourth morning, I woke up with my dad sitting next to me in the chair that had moved 2 nights ago. I realized that he had moved it and sat there for some time each night. He had rubbed my back in circles, coaxing me into sleep. Fang looked at me solemnly, probably wondering what the hell was going on and why he only had me now. Fang. My sweet Fang stayed with me._

_Then I looked to the frame on the table next to my bed._

_It was a photo of Nick kissing my cheek, me grinning stupidly, and Fang sitting in between us. _

* * *

I bolted upright in bed with a mixture of sweat and tears covering my face and pillow. That picture. I still had it next to me. The only difference was that Fang had also left me now. 

I got up and went back to my window. It was snowing.

The clock read 12:01 AM.

I wiped my face and said, "Merry Christmas, Saint Nick."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: hey HEY heyy!!!!! **_**Really **_**sorry for not updating… we've been pretty busy with Thanksgiving. And I wanted to update before I go back to school. Sooo... Happy Thanksgiving! **

**On with the story… personally, I didn't think this chapter was that amazing, but oh well.**

**So this chapter is January 13... or around there. So it's awhile after the last chapter. I might do that a few times before the pace picks up. So yeah… **

**Disclaimer: don't own MR  
Claimer: Maggie is MINE. and so are Matt and Anna.**

The Elements

Chapter 2 : Maggie POV

I woke up to the blaring television, along with the smell of fresh coffee and French toast. Sitting up, I noticed I wasn't in my bed. _I must've fallen asleep on the couch…_

"Good morning sunshine!"

"Anna? How'd you get in?" I asked rubbing my stiff neck.

"_We _got in because you left your back door unlocked, genius." That was Matt. My other best friend. They're both high school seniors. **(A/N remember she's 19. she took a year off to start writing a novel. she'll be starting college next year)**

"Oh. Whoops… Wait – what's today? What about school, you slackers?" Matt threw the Sunday paper at me. He never appreciated my sarcasm. "Rawr."

I saw that Matt was about to flip a slice of French toast over to Anna, so I jumped up, grabbed a plate, and caught it in midair. Anna glared, but she knew better than to challenge me. I've got them trained already!

When I was done eating, Matt spoke up. "Can I talk to you, Maggs?"

I glared at him and said, "It's _Em._ Or _Mack._" I stood up and walked out back, with him following suit behind me.

He sat in the sand down by the water, looking all calm and serious. Weirdo. "Okay. As you know, the Snow Ball is coming up in about 9 days." I opened my mouth to immediately object, but he cut me off. "Before you say anything, listen. You know all about the Court. King and Queen are seniors, Prince and Princess are Juniors, Duke and Duchess are sophomores, and Lord and Lady are freshmen. Let me remind you that you were crowned Lady _and _Queen. I'm in the Court to be King." He grinned. (Let me just tell you, though, that I was never one of the "popular people." Actually I didn't like all the peppy, preppy girls. They annoyed me. A lot.) "... Anna already has a date..." He sighed nervously and played with his shirt. "Will you go with me?"

I contemplated the situation for a minute. In the end, I figured it couldn't hurt. Damn, was that stupid.

"On two conditions…" His smile got huge at that point. "One, we go just as friends and_nothing more._" I swear I saw the smile in his eyes fade. "And two, if I have a suck-ass time, you owe me BIG."

"Sweet!! Yes!"

"Okay. So, yeah – I'll go."

"It's a costume ball, though. So we were thinking Cinderella and Prince Charming?" At that moment, I was about to say _'we who,'_ but Anna came out holding a stunning pearl-colored dress and shoes. The dress had two thick over-the-shoulder straps. It wasn't a cupcake dress that totally poofed out at the hips-down, but it wasn't straight either. The skirt didn't have any of that frilly, itchy stuff under it – there was just a lot of fabric to it, so when you spun, it flared out in a circle. Minus the straps, it was one single piece of fabric, so there were no seams around the body. The top was a slight V-neck that fit tight to my body and down to my hips. Then it started fanning out into waves of silky cloth. Like I said. Stunning.

"How cliché. It's not like I have much of a choice, do I?" He smiled again as I took the dress from Anna and started back to the house to try it on. When I got to the door I felt the heat of someone staring at me, so I turned around… but Anna and Matt were facing the other direction, speaking inaudibly. I looked around once more and shook my head.

When I tried it on, it was perfectly smooth and without any wrinkles. I would've totally believed them if they had told me it was pure silk. I twirled, and just as I had thought, it spun out to a circle around my knees.

To make matters worse – and more cliché – I felt that even if I didn't look like royalty, I felt like it. Ich…


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: so the last chapter was reeeeaally short. and I felt bad. so I'm doing chapter 3 tonight, and possibly chapter 4 tomorrow. everyone stands to applaud and cheer. yeahhhh that's right. i'm amazing. now siddown and READ. don't forget to press the pretty purple button too!! but I'm not a mean person who needs to get reviews before they update again. seeee I'm amazinggg. but I lovvve reviews. OH! and thanks to Angel of the Black Death and luviz4eva for being my first two reviewers!!!!! YAY!! I would give you something, but that's kind of impossible… until later chapters when I have new people with wings and new powers. ahahahahhaha now you HAVE to read. so go!**

**Disclaimer: don't own MR. unfortunately I never will. grrrrr  
Claimer: Maggie, Matt, Anna, and future powerful-winged-people are mine too.**

**January 20 ish… aka 1 week later… aka the dance thing is in 2-3 days. oh boyy!**

The Elements

Chapter 3 :::: Maggie POV

_Come on, Mack. Get it together. You're just imagining things… being paranoid._ I thought this to myself as I sped over small waves on my boat. I was just about home from visiting dad on the Motherland, and I was _freaking out._

Things were weird.

The last couple days, ever since Matt and Anna were over that Sunday, I had felt like I was being watched and followed. At first, it was just eh. But now it was this insane feeling in my gut and heart. I would jump at any unexpected slight sound or movement.

I slowly eased the engine to 3 nots and turned into the dock. I let her go and grabbed the rope to tie it. When I got off, I did another quick 360, making sure there was nobody around. I almost face-planted into the ground because I was trying to get inside so fast. It was getting dark, and my house is in a remote area, surrounded by trees, sand, and water. All I had to get out was a motorcycle on a fairly large path through dense trees and a boat.

When I did get inside, I locked the front door, back door, and all the windows. Like I said, I was _freaking out. _By the time I got my laptop out and cell plugged in and charging, it was pitch black outside. And it wasn't just pitch black. This was one of those black nights, with no moon. All I had were the winking stars.

While I was going to my bedroom to put my pajamas on, I noticed the unnaturally eerie silence. And then the dreaded knock came at the front door…

Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnn.

You're probably sitting there waiting for me to go 'Just kidding!'. Well, unfortunately, I'm not going to.

Since I was in one of my dad's old, black t-shirts and underwear, I threw my light blue robe on, praying that it covered me up well enough.

Silently, I tiptoed to the front door and looked out the peephole. There was a guy there. I couldn't make out his face because his head was bent and he was leaning against the door frame. I could tell he was shaking violently, though, and he was obviously about to either collapse or upchuck. I quickly opened the door a bit to see if I knew the kid or not.

For a couple seconds he stopped breathing altogether, so I opened it wider.

He said my name so quietly I thought I imagined it... but I knew I didn't. This was real.

"Maggie…"

I actually panicked. Not because he knew my name, but because that one word was filled with such relief. Like he was relieved to find me in particular. Like he knew me?

All at once he choked out a breath of air and started falling my way, so I snapped my arms to catch him under his arms. Of course this was a guy, so I couldn't hold him up, though he was very light. We both fell to the floor gently, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

Now I had this stranger in my house, on top of me, unconscious, and male...

Awkward much?

Somehow within 10 minutes I had gotten out from under him, dragged him into my room, and lifted him up onto the bed. And this was in the dark.

Since I had felt blood, I immediately went to the bathroom and grabbed washcloths, towels, an extra pillow, bandages, and a bunch of other crap. Then I filled a bowl with warm water to soak the cloths in. Taking all of that into my room, I set it all neatly on the desk and flipped the light switch.

I turned around to face my patient, but now it was my turn to choke on air. There was blood everywhere, all over him... I needed to hurry this thing up. Fast.

But when I looked to his face, everything got fuzzy and dark around the edges…


	4. AN 1

**heyyy! you hate me right now. I don't blame you. I can beg though……**

**PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!!!**

**I've been reeeeaaaally busy with school and everything - been doing a research paper about the controversy of Huck Finn... plus I'm sick right now. I'm going to try and type up the next chapter tomorrow or monday. I SWEAR it will be up before tuesday though.**

**smile – it confuses people…**

** unlabeled.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: sooo I'm just going to say sorry. it's obviously after Tuesday. I'm still sick; I had my chorus concert this week; I've been going crazy over this gay research paper for English. I just can't wait for holiday break… only 4.5 days left!!! so here's your chapter. just so you know, all of these chapters were written in june – july. I was in Canada with nothing to do, so I got out a pen and paper. they seemed a crap-shit longer when they were on paper, so until I finish with the ones I wrote out, some of them are going to be pretty short.**

**disclaimer: don't own MR [**

**claimer: i do own the plot and my characters thou****gh! so don't touch. i will totally sue. [lol. idiot.**

_**The Elements**_

Chapter 4 : Maggie's POV from now on, unless I say otherwise.

_I turned around to face my patient, but now it was my turn to choke on air. There was blood everywhere, all over him, soaking my bed… I needed to hurry this up, and fast._

_But when I looked to his face, everything got fuzzy and dark around the edges._

Before I fainted, I latched myself to the desk behind me, closed my eyes, and counted to 10, taking deep breaths. '_Not real. Not real. Not real,' _I thought over and over. When I opened my eyes, I sucked in a breath. _**'Damn.'**_ He was still there.

Shutting down all feelings of worry, panic, and confusion, I let the adrenaline take over so that he wouldn't die there in my bed. That would probably be one situation I would not like to try and explain to my dad.

I grabbed the wet washcloths and started dabbing the blood away on his face, neck, arms – anything that didn't have clothing covering it. I noticed that his right wrist was bluish and swollen, so I wrapped it up tight. I let my fingers lightly roam over the rest of his body to see if anything else was broken. When I got to his ribs, they were a bit soft. I took out my grandfathers old pocket knife and tore open the guy's wet shirt, revealing his defined, bloody torso. Getting a fresh cloth, I gently wiped away the excess blood. I couldn't help myself from staring at the three long gashes that tore up his perfect chest. I realized he looked as if he was attacked by an animal, like a bear or something. I quickly dismissed the thought, since wild animals couldn't survive on this small island. I covered the individual wounds with gauze, and then I got out an extra long, thick wrap. I gently snuck my hands under him to feel his back for anything else. There was something weird on his back, but it was dry so I knew he wasn't bleeding. I leaned him forward so that his head was resting on my shoulder, and I started to wrap the top of his chest around to his back. When I saw what I felt before I almost screamed. It had been soft, but I disregarded it then. Now I felt it further, trying to figure out what it was. It was soft like hair or fur even, and black as night.

Suddenly, the boy twitched but soon came to rest again.

I ignored the blackness and wrapped up his chest, from the tops of his hips up to his underarms. I laid him back down and checked his pulse, hoping that it would be strong and not faint. What I felt shocked me. It was not only strong, but it was extremely fast, abnormally fast. Wanting to make sure it was his heart I felt through his good wrist, I knelt down beside the bed and put my cheek to his chest. As my facee made contact with hot skin, his head moved. I ignored this and listened. His heartbeat was like a machine gun with a never-ending supply of bullets. I knew it was impossible for a human's heart to go that fast, so I didn't know what to make of it. I continued the nursing process, trying to focus on his worse injuries. I began moving my fingers through is black hair to see if he had any head injuries. I didn't see red on my hands as I untangled them from his mess of hair, so I checked his forehead. He was absolutely burning up. I got a hand towel and soaked it in water, placing it over his forehead. I moved to his legs.

I smacked my forehead as I saw his right leg at an odd angle. I ran to the bathroom to get another extra huge wrap and roll of gauze. When I got back into the room, his face was moving again. I gently placed my empty hand on his cheek, and he stopped. Moving down the bed, I rinsed one of the bloody cloths out but realized he was wearing pants. I got the knife back out, and I ripped his jeans halfway up his thigh. I rung out the warm cloth and wiped away any more blood. He only had a few small scratches, so I tried to locate where the break was. I gently picked up his ankle and straightened out his leg, watching his head move again. I unraveled the gauze and folded the whole thing in half. I started directly on the break of his lower shin and started wrapping it around up to his knee and down to the middle of his foot. Taping the free end of the gauze down to his foot, I took the actual wrap and did the same exact thing. When I finished with the broken leg, I moved to the left one. His pants were mostly dry on this side, except for the occasional splatter of blood. Just in case, I tore this leg off too. There was a huge bruise on his thigh, but no open cuts.

Now I moved back up to his arms, and then remembered he had had a t-shirt on, so I had done that already. I checked his shoulders and saw that one was black and blue. _Dislocation._ I figured he must have just popped it back in himself, though he might have fractured something. Watching his face, I softly placed my hand on his bad shoulder to see if I was right. His head moved to the side again, and the wet cloth fell off his forehead. I soaked it once more in hot water and put it back on his head. I checked him over once more, and I knew there was nothing more I could do. Except wait. I threw his once black shirt and the cutoffs from his jeans into my empty laundry basket, along with the bloody cloths and towels.

I went back to his legs and carefully picked them up. I got the blanket out from under him and enclosed his body and arms underneath the sheet of cotton and a black feather blanket. I walked back into the bathroom and got 3 more blankets. I unfolded 2 of them and covered the boy up further, seeing his head move every once in a while.

Standing in the door-less doorway, I let emotion seep back into me. I remembered his back and then thinking of a wild animal attacking him. Then to the three ugly gashes he had, that would no doubt all be reminders of this night for the rest of his life.

I turned the light out and took one last look at him, before I headed out to the couch. It was only about 8:40, but I was still exhausted from everything.

I laid down with my head on the arm rest, and I pulled the blanket over me, curling up. I listened to the silence. All I could hear were waves crashing all around me when everything went dark behind my eyelids.

_All around me was darkness. All that was above me were stars. I saw a soft light in the distance, so I pushed forward to it. I saw my little beach shack come into view, so I went in through the back door. I was tiptoeing to the front door after someone had knocked. Not me, me. But the other me. '_Ahh, this must be a dream.'_ I saw myself open the door a crack, and then further, showing us a dark figure standing outside the door. It was the boy again. It was like this dream was replaying what had happened to me only an hour earlier._

_The dark figure fell on top of the other me, and she brought him into our room. She ran out to the bathroom to get washcloths and towels and water. I followed her as she returned to our bedroom. She set everything down. She turned on the light. She stared directly at me. I stared at the boy. He wasn't the same… I couldn't breathe… _Oxygen, oxygen! _He wasn't himself. But he must be! It wasn't the guy… it was just a kid. Just a little boy lying there drenched in blood, with a soaking shirt and broken leg. I turned to stare at the other me, who was still staring back at me. It was just a small, young boy…_

It was just Nick... he wad dead.  


I found myself bolting upright, sweat covering my face and neck. I jumped up, letting the blanket fall to the floor, and sprinted to my room, silently praying. I saw the older boy still lying peacefully there in my bed, with his chest rising and falling. I sighed and moved over to his side and felt his forehead and cheeks, staring at his features. He still obviously had a burning fever, but it wasn't as bad as last night.

He looked so different than that little boy. I had no idea whether it was possible or not, but it still made me a little scared. What if he woke up? I mean I wanted him to wake up, but I had no idea what I was going to say to him. _What if he doesn't remember __me__? What if it isn't really him?_ Instantly I hoped it was, but as soon as I did, I wanted to take it back. I didn't want to get my hopes up, especially since he _died_ 6 years ago.

Tearing my gaze away from him, I lifted up the blankets to check the bandages. The blood hadn't gone through, so I didn't need to change them yet.

Opening my closet, I put on a Colt's sweatshirt and a pair of dark, boot-cut jeans. I stuffed my feet into a pair of black Uggs and put my hair into a ponytail. I took out a pen and paper and scribbled down, "_Out. Be back around 10:30._" The clock said 9:38. I grabbed my cell phone, and went out the back door that faced the ocean. Walking around to the side, I noticed that it was pretty calm out there… like that kind of calm before the storm.

I tilted my motorcycle – a navy blue 2002 Honda Shadow Sabre – straight up and started rolling it forward. I wanted to get into the woods before I started her up, since whats-his-name was still sleeping. Once I did, I was off through the forest, glad that the path wasn't too curvy. Before I got onto the main road, I stopped and looked back. I felt a bit guilty for leaving him there alone. I faced forward, knowing I was going to need some food eventually. I revved forward, gaining speed. 

Eventually I got to the café in town, and when I got inside, I was relieved to see that familiar, old face. "Joe!" His head turned in my direction, and he smiled as soon as he saw me.

" 'ey, sweetie. What can I get fo' ya?"

"I could use caffeine. How about a large French vanilla and a cinnamon roll?"

"Comin' right up…" He called out the order and started pushing random buttons on the register. "Damn thing…" He hit it a few times, so I laughed and forked over a $20. "Nah, nah. You just hold on…" Then his wife, Rita, came up and started scolding him for breaking the it. "But I didn't do nothin'!"

"Rita, just take this. It's fine – really."

"Oh, all right." They both spoke in heavy Italian accents, but I was used to them so it wasn't a problem. I stepped aside and waited for my cappuccino, letting another younger man approach. "What can I do fo' ya," Joe asked sullenly.

"Excuse me," the guy asked him with a confused look on his face. I laughed inwardly, knowing exactly how Joe was going to react.

"I sait, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YA?!" He said it extremely loud, right up in the guys face, each word slow and separated. "Jesus…"

Rita came over to me, shaking her head, and handed me my food. "I still don't know what I'm gonna do wit him."

I laughed, thanked her, and waved goodbye to Joe. He looked at me and smiled, still exasperated.

As I stepped outside, I let the freezing salty breeze caress my face and looked out to the ocean. The ferry that was coming in was almost empty, except for the usuals. I remembered back to when I was a little girl, and I would come here during the summer on the ferry with Nick and my dad. The ride here was always the best. We would sit at the very front of the boat where the waves would splash up and get everyone wet, and then we would spend the day here on the island, biking around or sitting on the beach just being lazy. I let the feeling of nostalgia go as I headed towards my Honda. I put the roll in the small basket and the cup in its holder, and I rolled her over to another parking spot so I had a clear view of the bay.

I sat down and watched as the ferry captain tugged the horn and slowed down the engine to go as sluggish as possible. Then all the workers hurried over to the giant ropes at the dock that would hold down the giant boat. I suddenly realized that everyone was at the ferry's mercy. The only things that had power over it were it's unchangeable age and the wide open sea which could take it at any time. The captain was just the controller of the ferry, but nothing more. The ferry was like our world, and the captain it's rulers. The ocean was God. Age was destiny, which could not be stopped. I soon came to realize that I hated how everything worked. _We have no real choice in how our lives turn out. All we can do is make the small decisions in life that must be made._ It was the most unfair revelation ever… knowing that you were useless, helpless.

Suddenly annoyed, I threw the bag away and finished my drink. I hopped onto the leather seat and started her up. She wasn't like all those noisy machines you hear – I fixed her up so she was like a small cat purring.

I took to the road, damning my revelation to the darkest depths of the sea… the darkest depths of hell.


	6. AN 2

**Well. I really suck right now. Sorry. I'm sick. Though that's not an excuse for not posting in the last couple of months. December, was it? I guess I've just been really busy with school and everything. I'm moving, too, which is pretty much indescribable. Family has been coming and going for the past couple weeks. I'm not moving until summer. I think it's two states away. Almost 6 hours. My best friend started bawling when I told her in school, and she kept telling everyone that she hurt her ankle. Haha my lovve 33**

**So anyhow… I've actually been writing my own story. Like, not fan fiction. It's like… my own fiction. Lol I don't have a title for it yet and it's not that long, but it's getting there. I totally fell in love with writing, except I'm not that amazing. I know that. I've been thinking about being an editor instead. Like for a company. I dunno. It's just an idea, and I'm still young enough in High School to think about it. But right now I've got some blockage for my untitled thing. I'm not sure where to take it at the moment. SO – I'm hoping that ****some**** of you will be happy to hear this – I was thinking of starting this story back up again. I never really left it – I was just sidetracked. I might possibly be posting again in the next 2 weeks or so. It's spring break and I have nothing to do. Best friend went across country with her family. No promises for posting, though.**

**MAXIMUM RIDE 4 COMES OUT THIS TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**As you can tell, I'm **_**extremely**_** excited. **

**Who isn't, though????? YAAAYYYYYY!**

**Okay, so that's all for now. I'll try posting… I wasn't even sure if I should keep this going or not… review and tell me what you think.**

**PS – To ****Solo1234**** if you read this… no, you did not annoy me with that PM. Actually, I thought it was very thoughtful. Lol, and yes – it did suck. A lot.**

**Don't take anything or anyone for granted.**

_**- -**_**_ unlabeled._ **


	7. AN 3

Okay, so I'm sorry if you thought this was going to be a chapter but I thought it was important. I just reread all of the reviews I've gotten so far, and I love you guys!! I only have 9 but I totally don't care. Idk it just made me happy that a couple people liked what I've done so far. My own story is much better, and if I had a way of giving it to you guys to read, I would – except it's not actually fan fiction - it's mine. So that's a bit difficult lol.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you 4 who were nice. MUAH! I was surprised, though, that I've had almost 400 hits. That's _**insane!**_ lol well thanks to you who did review!! Love times a zillion… InMyOwnWords, The Probable Future, A.S Lee, and Flame-Taw.

**I love reviews!**


	8. Chapter 5

**A/N: Gahhhhhhh I knowww, I know. It's been FOREVER. But it was Christmas, then New Years, and then I immediately started school January 2. And school took up most of my time, along with everything else. So I just had finals last Monday, and then I leave in a couple days to go to RI for 3 weeks. Plus like I've said before, I've been writing my own novel. It's nothing like this – The Elements is just fanfiction writing. To me, my real writing and my fanfic writing are two totally and completely different types. I was actually debating whether I should post a couple of chapters on here.**

**I've been thinking of starting to post one of my other stories as well. There's one for Four Brothers, Eragon, and another MR. I like that MR better than this one… it's got the Flock. I dunno.**

**OH! And to respond to my lovely reviewers, I use italics for a bunch of things. Whenever there are dreams, they're in italics and so are the characters' thoughts. And then I use italics and bold for emphasis.**

**Only one more thing… I won't be posting for another long while since I'll be in RI – no computer – but I'll be writing on paper, and I'll post when I get back.**

**R & R pleease**

Disclaimer: don't own MR.

Claimer: this story is mine, and so are the characters, minus "he" / "him" / "the boy." hehehehe.

**_The Elements_**

Chapter 5

I groaned at the sudden vibration. My cell was buzzing and playing the chorus of I Need You by Relient K. Flipping it open, I got a new text from Anna asking, 'are you busy?' It was already 10 pm. Taking yet another look into my room, he was still lying there. Asleep. It had been almost 24 hours since he passed out on my doorstep, and honestly – how can someone sleep for that long?!

I didn't particularly feel like talking to a hyper person, so I just texted her back saying: 'nope, bring lots of food and a good movie.'

I went into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the Queen. Some of his black hair fell to cover his eyes as he shifted slightly. I carefully brushed it away and let my fingers drag down his cheek and jaw. I made sure he was actually breathing and had a pulse before walking back into the kitchen. There was nothing else I could do for him.

I picked my favorite book from my gigantic shelf, plopped myself onto the couch, and opened to a random page. Soon enough, a ball was mentioned in the text. "Shit…" I muttered. The ball was tomorrow, and the kid in the other room was still asleep. Who knew how long he would lie there…

I snapped the book shut, knowing that I would not be able to concentrate on Mr. Darcy for long. I mean, what if he didn't wake before tomorrow night? I couldn't just leave him here alone; but then I couldn't abandon Chris, either.

Mentally, I told Annie to hurry her ass up since I desperately needed her to distract me. I was anxious and fidgety. Walking outside to check the wind, I saw the light of Annie's boat from a long distance. I went down to the sand and stood listening to the night's songs. There was the ocean crashing down in waves; the crickets were faintly singing their familiar tune; and the breeze was playing in the sand and dancing through my hair. I closed my eyes. The music came together in a humming symphony; the world was its' stage.

Then another, deeper sound came quietly through the others. Gently it hummed louder, until I opened my eyes and saw Annie on her boat waving. I waved back and turned toward the house. First, I headed to the kitchen for matches to light the fireplace. While I was digging through a drawer, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled and I got goose bumps up and down my arms. Immediately, I froze, and my mind went to the one thing it could be… the one person it could be…

Nick was finally awake.

My breathing became more ragged and my heart almost exploded from beating so fast. I could see my tank top vibrate with every strum of the giant muscle in my chest.

Silently, I unhinged my fingers from the drawer I was clutching. I glanced out the kitchen window and saw Annie coming up to the house with a few bags. I slowly turned around to face him, but I couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes. That would confirm that it really was him, and the fact that he never actually died.

By that time, Annie had come up to the back door and jiggled the handle to find that it was locked. Out of the corner of my eyesight, I could see her walk by my window, going to the front door. Before I could go unlock the front, Nick stepped forward. My heart skipped a beat altogether.

"Maggie, I…" his deep voice said. Annie was knocking on the door, making sure she was heard. Finally, I looked at him. Not his face – just him… in general. His stance was stiff, but not pained. He was on guard. Then Annie started banging recklessly on the door, so I moved to let her in. As I walked by Nick, his hand twitched. I silently prayed that he would let me go to the door and not try to stop me.

I opened the door successfully, and immediately after she saw my face, she asked what was wrong. I groaned, hung my head, and stepped aside to let her pass. "Seriously, M, what's wrong?"

_'Maybe she's blind_…_'_ I thought sarcastically.

I closed the door and turned. He wasn't there. Confused as I was, I hurried into my room and the bathroom to make sure I wasn't insane, hallucinating, or both, but he wasn't in either room. I swung open the back door, and as I was about to yell his name, movement caught my eye. Nick was leaning against the house in its shadows.

"Give me fifteen minutes," I muttered.

"Maggie?" I was watching Annie unpack grocery bags from just outside the back door. "Maggie," he said louder. As a result, my eyes snapped up to meet his for the first time.

I melted in two dark pools. I was sure it was him – it had to be. I mean, I already **knew** it was Nick; but there was no mistaking those eyes. I could tell he was in pain, but whether it was physical or not, I wasn't sure.

"Maggie, I'm…" Speechless again, apparently.

"You know, this whole time all you've said to me is my name. Five times, in fact." I smirked.

"Very funny," he said in his deep voice.

"He speaks!" I whispered dramatically. At that, he actually smiled for a split second, and my stomach did flip-flops as my heart pounded harder. In my mind, I was embarrassed at my own reactions.

"Well, you haven't changed much. Still sarcastic about everything I see."

"Mmmm… I can't exactly say the same thing about you, though, can I?" I glanced at his one wing that I could see. He looked away and refused to show me those gorgeous eyes again.

"We talk when she's gone. And do not tell her **anything**."

"Promise," I told him. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. "Hey, Annie. Listen – you're probably going to hate me for this, but it turns out that now isn't the best time. So how about we do this tomorrow after the ball or something, okay? So I'll see you at – "

"Hold up," she cut me off. "First of all, the ball was postponed until next Friday since the hotel's kitchen had a fire. Second, who were you just talking to? Is Chris here? I will totally leave if it's him," she said, searching out the window.

"Wait, what? The ball was postponed?"

"Yeah… about that… the DJ can come, but the band can't, so we've been looking for someone else to play except it's so short notice that nobody can do it so we wanted to know if you'd sing." I stood in shock for a good fifteen seconds, before I fully comprehended that she wanted me to sing in front of practically her entire school. "And when you sing, could you possibly also announce the Court since you won Queen last year? That'd be great. And you'll get in free plus paid half of what the original band would've got."

"Half? Are you kidding?"

"Well, no, because we've gotten another band, but they can only play towards the end, so you'll get half and they'll get half. And you won't sing right in the beginning. You can pick the two songs you're going to sing."

"Wow, okay, I haven't even said yes yet," I reminded her.

"But you'll do it, won't you? Oh, come on, Em…"

"Yeah, whatever. I hate you," I said meaninglessly. "Tell Chris I hate him, too. I can't believe you're making me do this…"

"So it's not Chris out there? Who is it? Spill."

"Go home, Annie. I'll talk to you later," I said leading her out the door. "Yep, mmhm…" I said, not listening to her blab. "Bye, Annie." As soon as she stepped over the threshold, I closed the door behind me and sighed. I had another whole week to look forward to the ball. Yay.

The window next to the front door opened, and I saw Nick's legs slide in first followed by the rest of his body. Without speaking, he walked into the kitchen and started making coffee. He stood in front of the machine as the hot liquid dribbled into the pot. Slowly, I walked over and leaned my back against the counter next to him with my arms crossed. As I was about to say something, he said, "You should get some sleep. Go to bed. Where are the towels?"

"Uh… they're in the closet in the bathroom."

"If it's alright, I wanted to take a shower."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you need…"

"Go to bed. You'll need lots of sleep."

"How do I know you'll be here tomorrow?" I pointed out.

He turned his head and stared into my eyes. "I'll be here," he said quietly. As I started to walk away, he said, "Can you take these bandages off?"

"Yeah, sure," I said. I went back to him and put my hands lightly on his ribs and looked up at him.

"The end is on my back," he murmured.

"Mmm." I carefully started unwrapping him. When it was finally off, his ribs were fine. Bruises gone. Scratches healed. The three deep gashes along his chest were faint pink lines. I traced the middle scar with my finger and shifted my gaze from his tight chest up to his dark eyes. "How in hell?" I asked.

"It's late, and there's a lot. Sleep," he added in a whisper.

He left me there for the bathroom, and when I heard water running, my trance was broken. Shaking my head, I headed into my bedroom to chang into green plaid boxers and a white tank top. At first, I wasn't sure if he would sleep on the couch or in my bed, but then I didn't care… I was extremely tired. I folded down the corner of one side of the bed and climbed into the other. Eventually, I heard the water turn off and a few other distant noises. Everything was dark. I fell asleep to hot breath on my face and heat enveloping the rest of me.


	9. AN 4

**woww. so heyy everyone hahaa . so it's been a very long time.... 8 months... my bad.**

**i'm actually still writing my own stuff. i haven't really kept on with this though... but i plan on continuing :] so no worries.**

**i have an excuse for not posting, i promise. i moved like three states away. yeah. it's okay i guess. i've been here since september.**

**but i'm back !**

**i'm not saying i'm going to post anything really soon, but i AM going to post. eventually.**

**sincerely ;]**


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